Why Did Journalism Retire From Racing? Injury Ends the Preakness Winner’s Career

Why did Journalism retire from racing so soon after returning to winning form? The 2025 Preakness Stakes winner was retired after suffering a soft-tissue injury in a hind limb during the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 18, 2026.

The injury occurred around the time Journalism left the starting gate awkwardly. Remarkably, he recovered from a slow start and went on to win the race by three-quarters of a length.

There was no clear sign immediately after the race that Journalism had been hurt. He appeared sound when jogging, but the problem became clear during checks over the following days.

His owners and trainer Michael McCarthy decided that continuing to race him would create an added risk. Journalism’s retirement was announced on July 24, six days after his final victory.

He will now recover before beginning his stallion career at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky in 2027.

Why did Journalism retire from racing?

Journalism retired because of a soft-tissue injury to one of his hind limbs. The injury was linked to an incident in the starting gate before the San Diego Handicap.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli said Journalism was leaning forward and then took a step backwards just as the stalls opened. That left the colt in a poor position to begin the race.

McCarthy later said Journalism did not appear to be fully set when the doors opened. The horse reportedly kicked the front of the stall and had one foot placed ahead of the other. As Journalism attempted to correct his position, he dropped down and came out of the gate slowly.

Although the incident looked awkward, its effect was not immediately known. Journalism continued racing, caught the field and produced a powerful run to win.

The soft-tissue damage took several days to become clear. McCarthy said it would have been difficult to spot simply by watching the horse move because Journalism remained sound when jogging. Del Mar later confirmed that the injury affected a hind limb.

Once the problem was found, his connections chose retirement instead of attempting a return to racing.

Did Journalism break down during the race?

Journalism did not suffer the type of clear breakdown that forces a horse to stop during a race.

He completed the San Diego Handicap and was strong enough to hold off Shea Brennan in the closing stages. Nothing in his finishing effort gave the public an obvious reason to think it would be his final start.

The term “soft-tissue injury” can cover damage to areas such as tendons and ligaments. The exact structure involved in Journalism’s injury has not been made public.

Such problems need to be treated carefully because racing and fast training place heavy pressure on a horse’s legs. Even when a horse appears comfortable, returning to full work may increase the chance of further damage.

Journalism was a valuable stallion prospect with nothing left to prove at the track. His connections therefore had little reason to take that chance.

Why was Journalism’s final victory so notable?

Journalism was estimated to have given his rivals a lead of five or six lengths after leaving the stalls poorly.

Rispoli allowed him time to regain his balance rather than immediately asking him to chase the field. By the first turn, Journalism had already reduced much of the gap.

He continued to move closer before taking the lead near the top of the stretch. Shea Brennan challenged late, but Journalism held him off to win by three-quarters of a length.

Only after the injury was found did the full scale of the performance become known. Journalism had overcome a bad start and physical damage to win his first race of the season.

McCarthy described the performance as the sign of a true champion. He said Journalism had won through his heart and class, while adding that the horse owed his connections nothing.

The result took Journalism’s career record to seven wins, three seconds and three thirds from 14 starts. He earned a total of $4,770,755 and finished outside the first three only once. His sole unplaced result was a fourth in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Had Journalism struggled before his retirement?

Journalism had not won either of his first two starts of 2026, but he continued to compete at a high level.

He returned from his winter break in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, finishing third. He then dropped back to one mile for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga, where he again finished third.

The San Diego Handicap was a step back up to a mile and a sixteenth. Journalism’s victory showed that he remained capable of winning an important race against older horses.

His retirement was therefore not caused by poor form. Nor was there any suggestion that his owners had planned for the San Diego to be his last race.

Further major targets may have included the Pacific Classic and Breeders’ Cup Classic. Those plans ended once the injury was found.

A career shaped by the 2025 Triple Crown

Journalism became one of the leading American three-year-olds of 2025 after winning the San Felipe Stakes and Santa Anita Derby.

He started as the favourite for the Kentucky Derby and finished second to Sovereignty. Two weeks later, he produced his best-known performance in the Preakness Stakes.

Journalism met traffic in the stretch and appeared to have nowhere to run. Rispoli found a small opening, and the colt forced his way through before catching Gosger close to the finish.

He completed all three Triple Crown races by finishing second to Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. Journalism was the only horse to contest all three legs that year.

He later won the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes, finished second to Fierceness in the Pacific Classic and came fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Despite already having a place waiting at Ashford Stud, Journalism remained in training for 2026. His owners wanted to give racing fans another season to watch him.

What will Journalism do after retirement?

Journalism will stand as a breeding stallion at Ashford Stud from the 2027 season. His first stud fee had not been confirmed when his retirement was announced.

He has a strong pedigree for his new role. Journalism is a son of two-time American Horse of the Year Curlin and is out of the Grade 2-winning mare Mopotism, a daughter of Uncle Mo.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners bought Journalism for $825,000 as a yearling in 2023. Coolmore later became involved in his ownership, with an agreement already in place for him to move to Ashford after racing.

His first foals are expected in 2028 and would normally begin reaching the racecourse in 2030.

Was retiring Journalism the right decision?

It is natural for supporters to feel disappointed, especially after Journalism won his final race. However, the decision was based on protecting the horse from a more serious injury.

He had already won the Preakness, Santa Anita Derby and Haskell Stakes. He was also placed in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Pacific Classic.

Continuing his career would have required a period of recovery followed by a return to demanding training. There was no certainty that he would regain full race fitness without the injury returning.

So, why did Journalism retire from racing? He suffered a soft-tissue injury in the starting gate before the San Diego Handicap. While the injury was not obvious during the race, later checks showed that continuing to train him carried too much risk.

Journalism’s racing career may have ended earlier than expected, but it ended with a victory that summed him up. He lost ground, faced a major setback and still found a way to win.